Telephonic communications – Telephone line or system combined with diverse electrical... – Remote indication over telephone line
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-19
2001-10-23
Nguyen, Duc (Department: 2643)
Telephonic communications
Telephone line or system combined with diverse electrical...
Remote indication over telephone line
C379S093080, C379S377000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06307923
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and method for generating user warning signal during data transmission suspension or degradation. This notifies a user that parallel operation of plain old telephone system (POTS) equipment and digital data communications equipment is either occurring or being attempted. More particularly, the user warning signal indicates the impact to the operation of a multiple channel data communications device, as a result of the operation with the POTS equipment. A multiple variable signal alerts the user to the parallel operation, the amount of degradation, the elapsed time of the degradation to data communications, and the direction of the data traffic being impacted.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As known in the art, some modems can operate simultaneously with POTS traffic on the same wire pair communication chapel, e.g., Radish Alternating Voice Data modem, ADSL (POTS Splitter) or V.61 (Simultaneous Voice and Data over POTS).
However, modems that currently operate simultaneously with POTS traffic either combine a digital data signal and the analog POTS signal into one complex analog signal that is then transmitted over the line (as in V.61) or separate the data and POTS in frequency (as in ADSL). So that while these modems simultaneously transmit both data and POTS traffic, they do so in a single signal. While there is a need for modems that transmit data signals in parallel with analog POTS signals, there is also a need to indicate to a user of the analog POTS signal generating equipment that transmission of a POTS signal is affecting transmission of a data communication signal operating in parallel.
Heretofore, modems have lacked the ability to indicate the impact of attempted or occurring parallel POTS and Data traffic. Accordingly, there is a need to develop a modem having the ability to identify whether parallel operation of POTS and data communications device may be limiting the achievable data rate of the modem, and then notify the user that parallel operation is occurring. With such a notification, a user or data communications device can decide to terminate the digital data communication, terminate the POTS traffic, or tolerate the degraded operation of digital data communication traffic.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Certain objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned with the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the advantages and novel features, the present invention is generally directed to a data communications apparatus and method, that allows a user to identify that parallel or concurrent operation of POTS and data communications equipment is either occurring or being attempted, and more particularly, indicates the impact to the operation of a multiple channel data communications device as a result of the parallel or concurrent operation with the POTS equipment, via a signal.
One embodiment of the modem apparatus and method for user warning signal during data transmission degradation includes apparatus for detecting that there is parallel or concurrent data communication and analog POTS traffic on a user premises line, the determination of which user site is causing the degradation by the direction of the data communications traffic being degraded, measuring the amount of data communications rate degradation and measuring time period of data communications degradation.
The modem apparatus used in this embodiment includes a memory containing a plurality of program routine sequences and a processor that performs the selected program routine sequences to detect data communications rate degradation, which user site is causing the degradation by the direction of the data communication traffic being degraded, the amount of degradation and the time period of the data communications data rate degradation. There is also a routine (not shown) that constantly monitors the data communications data rate during periods of data communication only. It is this figure that is used to determine the amount of degradation from optimal performance when data communications is occurring in parallel with analog POTS traffic.
An alternate embodiment provides for indicating to a user the special case of the data communications is being interrupted because of analog POTS traffic. This interruption causes a suspension in the data communication, and therefore, it is imperative that the user be warned, via a multivariable signal, that the data communications is suspended, which user site is causing the degradation by the direction of the data communications being suspended and the elapsed period of time of the suspension.
In another alternate embodiment, the processor measures the period of time of the data communications suspension or which user site is causing the degradation by the direction of the data communications traffic and then computes the multivariable warning signal for warning the user that data communications has been suspended.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4995074 (1991-02-01), Goldman et al.
patent: 5502760 (1996-03-01), Gilbert et al.
patent: 5651060 (1997-07-01), Cohn et al.
patent: 5706336 (1998-01-01), Kikinis
patent: 6031897 (2000-02-01), Bremer et al.
Bremer Gordon
Thoenes Ed
Eng George
Nguyen Duc
Paradyne Corporation
Thomas Kayden Horstemeyer & Risley, L.L.P.
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